I don't recall ever having heard of Archbishop Flynn before. According to the blurb in the WSJ, "Archbishop Flynn is arachbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse." Maybe some of you know more about him.
It is time for these seminaries to be "outed" - I am sick and tired of the veiled references to "northeast" seminaries or "often referred to as the pink palace" seminaries... time to out them and reveal just which ones they are. We cannot fix the problem if we don't know where to start.
Thank you Mary for posting this column. It was quite good and I was heartened to see the word "homosexuality" used - I'm sick of the word pedophilia as it has almost nothing to do with this current situation. I just read an entire "Time" Magazine article (on the web) entitled "Can the Catholic Church be saved" - the article was silly and never once used the word homosexuality. Can't hurt anyone's feelings.
Even in so-called orthodox dioceses there can be found legions of heterodox administrators who have ruined seminaries and made a hash of CCD and Pre-Cano programs. This is where the courage of many bishops fails: They would rather get on with their administrators some of whom may be openly contemptuous of the magisterium than be a sign of contradiction. They simply let things happen.
GRRRRR... The changes were so gradual over the years that someone like me hardly noticed (I'm 42) and when I did experience vague discomfort, I thought it was ME that wasn't with the times - I wondered where my comforting, other-worldly, never changing Church went.
I am so mad this morning!
Wasn't Bishop Flynn the one who was sent to clean up the Gilbert Gauthe mess? I thought he was a "good guy"?
Did you see this? "Holy See Relaunches Reconciliation Bid with St. Pius X Fraternity"
Archbishop Harry J. Flynn was born May 2, 1933, in Schenectady, New York. After receiving B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from Siena College, Loudonville, NY, he attended Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and was ordained to the priesthood on May 28, 1960, in Albany, NY. Then-Father Flynn served as an associate pastor, pastor, high school teacher, retreat master, and spiritual leader in several various assignments in the Diocese of Albany. He also served as the Dean, Vice Rector and Rector of Mount Saint Mary's Seminary from 1965-1979.
Ordained Bishop on June 24, 1986, Bishop Flynn served as the Bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana until being named Coadjutor Archbishop for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, in February of 1994. On October 1, 1995, Archbishop Flynn succeeded Archbishop John Roach as head of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
Archbishop Flynn currently serves as Chairman of the Saint Paul Seminary Board of Trustees, Saint Paul; Chairman of the University of Saint Thomas Board of Trustees, Saint Paul; President of the Saint John Vianney Seminary Board of Directors, Saint Paul; and on the College of Saint Catherine Board of Trustees, Saint Paul. Archbishop Flynn is also a member of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) Committee for Black Catholics; the USCCB Committee on Sexual Abuse; and the USCCB Committee on the Charismatic Renewal.